Stir the Wind
by SinkingintheAbyssofFeels
Summary: Lea sneaks under Radiant Garden for some healthy looting and discovers Aqua's abandoned keyblade. Handling it accidentally summons the woman herself! Sora's all too eager to meet her, though no one knows why. And with their help, Aqua sets out to Castle Oblivion, where not only Ventus, but Vanitas await. Alt KH3 era. Soon to include Lea making lost puppy eyes at a confused Ven.
1. Murky Waters

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I just want Aqua safe. :'(

* * *

He called them Heartless.

Name gives little meaning, darkness is darkness.

Sometimes Aqua will ponder, on the shores when whispers of shadows ease. Heartless manifest still... Therefore there are those without such in the outside world. By the mounting hoards she worries of it getting worse.

What of Sora?

Had he not fixed the dilemma?

Maybe she instills too much faith in a child.

Still.

Faith is not nothing.

Clutching her wayfinder Aqua shuffles onto the next topic: where her search will lead today.

She turns her head, gazing forlornly at the shoreline.

Today.

Time.

What a foreign concept.

Digging her hands into the sand she closes her eyes, and sighs. Gently, as if the sound could rouse the evil always lurking at her back. Centering her mind to relax.

Relax.

Blue lowlight caressed her cheek. Can exhaustion amount to weight? She swears her muscles were sinking lower into the sands without an effort from herself. Nevermind the dark thoughts always lingering in the corners of her mind. These waves provide shelter. Darkness will not enter the Shores of Nightfall... which is what she fondly names this place. The moon forever sits on the shoreline; a never-ending promise of tomorrow. An illusion of hope she can almost put her finger on.

Relax.

And she began to drift. So suddenly that she could pretend the current would take her away. It's ebb and flow countering any invasive thoughts. Further... further... soon she could dream. Of a world with—

"Hey? Are you... alive?"

Aqua jolted upright.

* * *

"Don't know what I expected." Shaking his head, Lea side-eyed the heartless clawing at their bars left and right. They looked familiar... Shadows, Neoshadows, Darkballs, Large Bodys. But their eyes multiplied in places they shouldn't. Arms that didn't match their bodies, and he looked away.

This long white hall appeared to be their prison. Beneath Ansem's lab in Radiant Garden Lea's heard stories of some Chamber of Repose. A place frequented by their leader Xemnas. Curiosity and lack of consequences led him down to check it out.

* * *

" _We can open portals to travel between the worlds!?" Giddy, Lea clenched his hands, leaning eagerly forward. "I haven't been able to look for new worlds in ages!"_

 _Kairi rolled her eyes, still baffled that this man once terrified her— and if he apologizes for doing so one more time she might have to give him a reason to fear_ her _. "So-ra," she spelled out, "Sora opened a portal." She swung at one of their training dummies within Merlins loft. "I asked Yin Sid; we can do it too. I don't... know how. But! He said we'd need armour, or a vessel when we do."_

" _Still better than dark portals. Those things are starting to take their toll..."_

 _Kairi swung once more, concerned, yet knowing he wouldn't listen if she asked him to stop._

* * *

The moogles down in the shopping district agreed to meld an armour for him, but only with the correct materials provided.

He should just go to the abandoned castle... but that place gives him the creeps.

"Hm?" A door at the far end seemed to be where the hall led. It slid open automatically at his approach. He leaned in head first to peer inside.

"There we go!" He enthused. Inside the spacious room with a chair at its center, sat an armour ready and waiting upon the ground! Blue and slightly scuffed, but he's not one to complain. The moogles will figure it out. And... a keyblade?

He lifted it experimentally. The remnant power within reminded him of Kairi's; full of light. He turned it in his hand, handling it with a small toss into the air. It's strong.

Lea shrugged. "No time like the present." And he attempted to open a portal with it. Portals directly from one world to another require no armour, but it's about making one first. A portal of light.

His hand shook under the effort.

"C'mon!" Lea gritted his teeth. Open the door, any door! The biggest bump in his training was channeling magic _through_ his keyblade. He could engulf the keyblade in flames, sure, but shooting a fireball with it alone? Blew up in his hand.

Kairi laughing at his singed hair did wonders for his self confidence.

His arm tingled. Does that mean its opening? A spark rippled off the wall straight ahead where he pointed. An angry purple swirled, growing outward in its place and he realized something about channeling his power wasn't working.

The darkness bled from that singular point, developing a shadow puddle against the wall, like a napkin absorbing a mess too big. Soon it seeped down to the floor, pulsating, angry, and this should probably stop!

"No dark portal!" Lea clasped the blade with both hands, pulling away. "Light! Light portal!" He struggled, yet the keyblade had plans of its own, and stubbornly remained in place. "I'm a good guy now!"

The pooling shadows inflated from the ground, spreading from a singular point, and sprawling out. Slowly it took humanoid shape, oozing as it was, Lea could only watch. Mounting horror kicked in his fight or flight early, and to be rooted on the spot by this cursed keyblade edged him closer by the second to dropping dead on the spot.

Lifting from the center of this dreadful dark portal ink-spot was a light. The darkness clung like spiderwebs with claws as this tiny star shaped beam shot upwards. And when the last tendril snapped, the darkness shattered into dust, engulfing the entire room in light.

Lea squinted till it faded. Any hold the keyblade had ceased, and his entire body slouched in relief. So wielding a light keyblade doesn't default his power to light. Great. Guess his plans of _borrowing_ Kairi's keyblade would have ended in failure then.

Inhaling, he lifted his head... and there lay a woman. Sleeping. Peaceful. He admired her tranquility a moment before rubbing his temples.

What.

What the hell?

She came from the murky other side of... whatever that was - if it was a portal or not. That keyblade gave him a thousand nightmares for what he expected to be Xehanort reincarnate.

Steeling himself upright Lea counted his blessings. It could be worse.

He stepped closer to observe. She's not some mangled heartless.

It could be worse.

The mantra ran circles in his head till he realized.

What if it is... worse?

She's not moving.

His eyes widened.

Oh god, she's not moving.

Is she breathing?

Inevitably, as he hovered overhead, the question had to be asked.

"Hey? Are you... alive?"

* * *

A/N

I probably need a beta if anyone's interested.

I've written quite a bit, got a whole plot knocking around in my noggin, but once I had Aqua safe I kinda lost motivation. But! I will try to complete this before January, when we find out what actually happened to our poor Aqua. At the very least, I want Ventus and Xion safe too, and well, everyone wants Ventus to have a run-in with Lea, heheh.


	2. Five Second Rule

Aqua sat up, thrusting off her hands to catapult onto her feet - and swayed. One arm anchoring her body to a wall, she swung her keyblade blindly at the source of noise.

 _Clang_ , resistance.

She panicked. It's like someone put the sun right in her eyes then injected her blood with lead. What came near her shores? Nothing comes near her shores!

"Fire!" She summoned.

The weapon clashing with Aqua's vanished as heat licked her face. Slumping down the wall, her handhold slipped gracelessly and she met the ground sooner than expected. Disorientated, she had trouble differentiating which hold was the ground and which was the wall. Falling helped her establish gravity. But given a seconds reprieve, she realized the drastic change in scenery.

Aqua blinked rapidly, blurry, but better.

Hard tile ground instead of dark sands. White, everywhere her peripherals could see.

"Chill out!" A man shouted.

The flames broke off abruptly.

A... human? He blocked her firaga? How?

"We're on the same side! Look. I've got a keyblade too."

Aqua squinted. In his hand she saw the distinct hilt guard with a flame curled key shape extending up.

The man himself was no one she recognized from her years of torture. Crimson hair, wearing checkered lined clothes she would deem autumn themed, yet on him; firey. A tattered red scarf wrapped loosely around his neck topped off the ensemble.

"That means nothing," she said, exhaustion laden in her words. "The worst man I know is a keyblade _master_."

* * *

At this point he could leave. She doesn't trust him, so what? Then the woman tried to stand on wobbly legs, and he's suppose to be a _good guy_.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Lea rolled his eyes to the far wall. "Not even sure where you came from, but it _might_ have something to do with me." Brushing off the blame, Lea nonchalantly offered, with more confidence than he felt. "Anyway, I could send you back-"

"NO." Doesn't matter where here is, it's better than the Dark Realm.

The air went stagnant.

Realizing her outburst quieted the man, she rephrased. "Ah, um, I mean no thank you."

"Whatever."

Aqua watched him shuffle about the room, a crease in his brows. He's no danger, no hallucination? They've never met, but... maybe the darkness is becoming clever. Her gaze floated to and fro. A familiar all white room with a chair at its center... However, a power unlike her own filled the room. Still, she fixated on the empty chair.

"Where are we?" Remaining calm, Aqua fought away any conclusions without answers. The darkness has hewn that lesson into her like an instinct.

"Somewhere under Radiant Garden."

Aqua released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Not Ven's room.

Her countenance changed completely. The woman tucked her keyblade onto her lap, breathing and blinking like a newborn. Lea opted instead to inspect the armour. It's scuffed... bad. Still. When its fitted to him, that won't matter.

Lea checked the woman again to find her staring expectantly.

"That's mine." She jumped her elbow toward him as if to point.

He cocked a hip and placed his hand upon it, while gesturing at her with an open palm. "You appeared from nowhere, how is this yours?"

She shrugged, averting her eyes. "Just is..." her eyes swayed back to his. "Keyblade too."

Lea wrinkled his nose at the keyblade beside his feet, then jutted his chin at the one on her lap. "What about that?"

Her frown took on a pensive edge.

Lea threw his hands up to feign defeat. "Alright. There's better scrap metal in the castle anyway. Keep your junk."

And he turned to leave.

But that nagging new-old voice he decided to listen to since joining the light yanked him back at the doorway.

"Listen." He rubbed the nape of his neck. "Is there someone I can call for you? A friend... or...?" Lea blinked as it occurred to him. Maybe she's a summon? Although the fact that his magic wasn't draining told him otherwise.

Unmoving, she voiced, "you wouldn't... happen to know a man named Terra?"

Try as he might, no one came to mind.

His inability to form an answer was enough for her.

Aqua tapped her arm plate, reclaiming her armour. It vanished from it's spot on the ground in a flash of light to her. Based on the damage, she'll have to repair it before using it again.

Lea's eyebrows jumped. Doing a double-take, he asked, "how'd that happen?"

"It's my armour," she stated, as if it explained that magic trick. In her world it probably did. Wherever that is. Is it possible to permanently summon?

Holding her keyblade diagonally, the woman concentrated, as if memorizing the details. A bulky silver keyblade with red guards. In a flurry of lights she dismissed it. And in its place was the keyblade he handled earlier, gone from where it lay on the floor, now in her hand.

Belatedly, he realized, it must have been calling back its master.

Guess manifesting a keyblade can work in reverse.


	3. Fool Me Once- Twice- Thrice?

Lea grunted home, straining under the weight anchored around his shoulders. Great. Just great. Upon heading out to leave this problem in more capable hands, he remembered Kairi had been summoned to Yin Sid's for- however long he needed her. And Merlin's checking in on Arthur— whoever that is.

Meanwhile, Sora's 'friends' -Leon's groupies- remain wary of him. How would he explain his current predicament? When it might actually be his fault that... the lady passed out.

Not that he knows why.

She simply fell over! Nothing out of the ordinary. But he did summon her? So her being here is his responsibility. Probably.

Maybe.

She is an adult, and her own person. Who's stopping him from leaving her in a ditch?

Lea eyed said ditch comtemplatatively.

And felt a familiar nag.

He soldiered on.

He's gone too long without a heart that it feels odd. Why does the need to do good follow when no one's watching? Maybe because someone is? Hastily, Lea looked over his shoulder.

No one.

One of the voices that was decidedly not his conscience was telling him to leave her and stroll casually home, allowing her to figure this new world out like the adventurer she's equipped to be. The other knew she didn't belong here, would feel lost and unable to return home, on top of being sick with whatever makes people pass out at the drop of a pin.

It wasn't until he returned home and dropped her on the couch that he realized he made a decision.

For being a disheveled mess, she remained rather regal. Mostly in how she held herself when awake, and partially by her outfit.

A black jumpsuit conformed to her slender figure, decorated by long flowing blue and white lace to frame her hips. White bell sleeves adorned her arms, reaching to cover her fingerless gloves slightly. Pink ribbons crossed over her chest, at the center was a symbol resembling a heart. And across her upper arms on either side sat an armour set similar to her armour from the Chamber.

It looked uncomfortable to sleep in.

Carefully, he removed those arm plates and her metal boots.

Once free of the weight, she curled into herself, tucking her arms and legs in close. Her body gave way to a slight shiver.

With a selfish pout, Lea removed the cover from his bed to spread over her.

It's probably time to put lessons to work and stop taking in strays. The last two... one? Lea shook his head. One.

His shoulders sagged as he plopped into a chair. He set an elbow to his knee and propped his head up on his hand.

The last one should have warded him off for good.

Funny how all he wanted was a heart all those years, now all it does is hurt, and he's not sure the goal was worth it.

Eyelids falling, Lea yawned, and followed his body's demand for bed.

Arms tucked behind his head, he stared at the ceiling. She has sapphire blue hair. Lea's last waking thoughts wondered if that meant her favorite element was water, like how his matches to flames, and how her first reaction when they met was to attack. Not having thought this through, he did technically kidnap her... worst case scenario, there'll be steam... or smoke.

* * *

A/N

Thank you to **hcbnc** for reminding me to put the setting in the description.

And I'm glad you enjoyed it **YumeTakato**!


	4. Grasp of Darkness

The lady was made to sleep. It's all she's done since he woke five hours ago. Bread and fruit sat waiting at the table. The sooner she's better, the sooner she leaves, the sooner he can pretend this never happened. He was half tempted to shake her shoulders and hurry this process along.

Lea's eyebrow twitched, a roadblock in his concentration.

He's maintaining a reflect spell. The longer he can hold it, the stronger attack it can take when he summons it in battle. A split second spell. And defense was never his forte.

Should he wake her? What if she sleeps for days. It wouldn't be the first time. Roxas once slept for-

His reflect shattered.

Lea swiped a hand slowly down his face.

So much for that.

"I sense darkness in you." Her voice did wonders for his current state of mind.

Lea jerked his keyblade up, flailing onto his side, then rolled to one arm. Effectively diminishing the effect his glare had to offer. To his dismay, she remained as stoic as ever.

Lea stood, brushed off his clothes, and dismissed his keyblade. "I'm reformed, got a complaint, write it in the mail."

She sat upright, legs pressed together, and hands folded over her thighs. Regal. What is she? Royalty? His train of thoughts derailed. What if she **is** royalty?

"Reformed?" She asked, like the word held a different definition than what she was acquainted with.

Lea scooped up the bread basket and an apple, then tossed them into her lap. Her hands separated, hovering over the spot that they landed. Surprise sprinkled with confusion flitted across her features, and he was kind of proud to break her mask.

"Yeah, reformed. Darkness wasn't a good shade for my complexion, and light's easier on my eyes. Ask anyone."

Her eyebrows rose higher, she looked him up and down, disbelief sinking deeper. "But it- it's not possible."

Lea crossed his arms. "That's a weird way to say thank you."

She fretted over the basket, realizing at that moment what he gifted her, and stuttered out, "That- I wasn't- sorry! I'm sorry." Aqua deflated. "I haven't-" she rubbed her temple to gather her thoughts. Then confessed, "I might need to brush up on my people skills."

He smiled softly, glad to see a bit of the person she really is.

She returned the expression, grateful for his understanding.

"Here's your first lesson to memorize then." He jerked a thumb at his chest. "The name's Lea."

She placed a hand to her chest. "And I am Aqua. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Suddenly Aqua's smile fell. She set the basket aside and clasped her hands together at her knees, eyes tightly shut. "Please, if this is another illusion, attack me now."

Aqua's hands gripped tighter, fighting against an urge to summon her blade.

Lea studied her. Shivering as she was, he was afraid to call her a victim. One eyebrow lowered, he asked, "where did I take you from?"

"The Dark Realm." Her vibrant sapphire tones subdued to cold greys. "If I've even left."

"This is the realm of light," he stated, unsure of the turnabout. "Radiant Garden. And it's almost back to its former glory."

She shook her head, continuing in slow controlled tones, "no. Lies, deceit... the darkness is always using what I want to hear. I don't know if I can take anymore."

How can you convince someone air exists without showing them? Somehow he felt explanations would go nowhere, still...

"I wouldn't lie-"

She cupped her ears. "Not the lies. The hope!" She exclaimed. "There's only so many times you can lose it before it decides to never return." Her voice quaked, "and I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to lose it again."

Aqua took off, shoes and armour abandoned. Illusions were one thing, promises were worse. When Lea pursued her onto the cobblestone streets, she summoned the Master's Defender. Lea in turn called up his keyblade.

"I don't want to fight you!" Lea swung his other arm out as if to brush this new malice aside. Thank Zeus no one else lives in this part of the district. Houses may have come down in this vicinity, but his was still in well enough shape to be restored and lived in again. And anyone else would probably take her side in a fight against him.

Aqua sneered, shoulders hunching. "The darkness feeds on my indecision." She rushed him. "I won't allow you the pleasure!"

Lea spread a reflera. She clashed with its clear honeycomb patterned surface.

Through his defense he saw within her eyes; fierce whirlpools, and in the center of that snapping chaos was the hope she swore to never lose again.

His reflera wound to it's tightest and lashed out with firework blasts of light all around.

When the sparks cleared, his stomach dropped to find her stance firmly planted, one foot braced back as she raised her hand high, maintaining the strongest reflega he'd ever witnessed.

And suddenly everything went white.

Once the sounds of sparks dissipated, Lea remained partially blind. Light blotches danced in his eyes. New pains blossomed across every surface of his body. He, apparently, was no longer standing. And he feared she would do more than win this battle.

"For one who lived in darkness, why can't you sense the light!?" He shouted, ignoring the clear desperation in his voice. When no threatening sounds followed, he spoke with more confidence, "after emerging from the proverbial desert, light should be a crisp sip of water... but you've forgotten what it feels like. You can't even see the stream you've been seeking."

Aqua's stace fell a fraction. A dawning horror fell over her as Lea hit home. Is that possible? But then... how can she wield a keyblade if it were? He's lying. He has to be!

"The darkness clings like muck and dirt. You lose yourself. Eventually... you can't even recognize yourself." It hurt to revisit, still he had to ask. "Do you even remember the feel of _your_ _own_ light?"

The stand-off maintained itself long enough that his vision somewhat cleared.

"I never succumbed!" She retaliated, yet it sounded more like an attempt to convince herself.

He scoffed a laugh. "Completely."

Aqua fell a step back. " _No_. No, I—"

"Don't act so proud," he directed at where he believed she would be, a blue blur amidst browns and yellows. "Failing to acknowledge it doesn't mean it didn't happen." He swiped at his eyes, blinking at the ground. "Climb out of your rut. Extend your senses beyond the inky darkness you've fallen into."

While Lea's vision did clear, his body identified all the new pains she caused. But that's fine, she was scared. It's nothing he hadn't dealt with before.

He got to his feet, dusted off, and labored his way closer to her. Aqua had dismissed her blade, and cupped both hands over her mouth. She stared at the tattered buildings, scattered streetlamps, and the crimson sunset sky like the two of them were in a sudden hurricane of butterflies, and nothing could be more important than searing this impossible moment into her mind forever.

Lea's relief was evident in his smile. He didn't know this woman, but he knew exactly how she felt. "Allow the light in, no one's fighting you anymore."

Aqua stared at Lea, and tears she couldn't hope to stop trekked down her cheeks.

Lea's mouth fell agape, his eyebrows creased, and his shoulders drooped as he gestured at her tears. "Aww, quit that! What did I do to deserve this?"

"I'm sorry." She apologized genuinely enough that his remark inspired regret.

"Okay, enough of that." Lea patted her back, leading her into his home. Her stomach roared, and he really didn't want to point out that it'd been doing that the entire time. "Time for breakfast." He glanced at the sky. "Lunch."

* * *

A/N

Breakfast doesn't exist in my house. We sleep in till noon, and watch our DVR shows after midnight. Help.

I've said it already, but thanks again cleverminded619, I'm glad you liked it.


	5. Recovery Meals

It was slightly annoying.

Retaining her dainty charm, Aqua scarfed down any food Lea could get his hands on. Even the dish Aerith would occasionally offer him— despite Leon's slight protest of a raised brow whenever she did.

Lea refused to be a charity case, so it wasn't uncommon for him to turn her offer down at every turn. But Aqua was. And she did appreciate a real meal as opposed to whatever he scavenged from their local shops this morning.

Due to her earlier outburst, Aqua discovered quickly that the years were catching up. She grew exhausted doing daily tasks, and famished before the food had a chance to hit the table.

"I'm sorry for attacking you." Aqua lowered her head as Lea finished his dinner. It was instinct, sure, but the man fought for her to retain her sanity, while she simply _fought_ him. She didn't even know him, and the kindness of a stranger who merely wished to help still touched her to the core.

Lea dropped his dishes into the sink. "Would you _stop_ apologising!" He threw his arms up. Then mumbled to himself, "geez, now I feel like Kairi..."

"Sorry!" Aqua blurted guiltily. Then, more suddenly at his glare, "ah! No, I didn't mean to!"

Then, to her immense shock, he laughed.

"You're so pure." Lea ruffled her hair.

Aqua pushed gently at his wrist. "Are you patronizing me?" She wasn't used to it. Usually she did the patronizing in her circle of friends. Yet somehow she wanted to pout.

"No." He headed for the door, conversationally stating. "It's a compliment. Ya know, for how the darkness clung to you, it never seeped into your bones." He clenched the doorknob. "I admire that."

Aqua ducked her head, tucking a lock off hair behind her ear. "Um. Thank you, Lea." He began to turn the knob when she reached forth with a blurt of words, "can I ask-!"

He turned slightly over his shoulder.

"Sor— I mean..." She cleared her throat. "The darkness, it... why does it have such a grasp on you?"

Lea stared at his faint reflection in the doors window. The lack of markings upon his face, yet there a dark imprint remained. "Organization Thirteen. They were a group of nobodies their leader rounded up to collect heart's."

Organization Thirteen... nobodies... that man Aqua met in the darkness, she remembered, mentioned them when he mentioned Sora.

Lea sighed, tightening his shoulders. "Most of us didn't want to be there, but after we joined and found out what it was all about, it was too late." He shook his head. "Eliminate all traitors. So I, like everyone else, became their dog. Doing their dark bidding took its toll." He smiled solemnly over his shoulder with a tiny shrug. "I still wonder if I was following orders in the end... or if that's who I truly was after it all."

"Lea..."

"Anyway, I'll be back."

"Okay."

* * *

He returned to discover she ate everything in the fridge. He didn't make a lot of munny doing odd jobs, so it was more of a problem than he felt it was. Truth be told, he didn't care. She's hungry, let her have it.

But his wallet and wellbeing retaliate. They'll deteriorate without help, or so they say.

"My meals must be growing on you," Aerith giggled, self-satisfaction welling as he packed a bit of everything. "How did the last one taste?"

Lea blinked at the roll in his hand. How should he know? Most of the room in his stomach goes to a quick sandwich and ice cream. And Aqua plead for seconds when he only took enough for two meals yesterday. Lunch and dinner, but really for two during lunch. It'll look suspicious if he takes more.

He blinked harder.

Is Aqua a secret?

Well, if he doesn't want strangers peeking into his home at this woman inexplicably from the darkness, she is. She's already skittish enough as is.

"Loved the carrots." Lea quoted Aqua's words from last night. "How'd you keep them from losing taste?"

Her beam blotted the sun. "Oh! I added those last! Did you notice the spices? I can't disclose exactly -top secret stuff- but they add that little kick." And she scuffed her boot lightly against the stone floor.

He scratched the back of his head. "Ah, yeah. That's a neat trick." He contemplated the spread Leon's gang would partake in when they returned from their duties that day. "Can I... help make some meals with you?" He shrugged. "To pay you back."

Aerith tilted her head, but shook off her question, and replaced it with a smile. "Yes. I'd love to have you."

* * *

"I helped make this, so you can't complain about it being too salty." Lea announced as he set up the cutlery.

"is it?" Aqua asked, scooting onto her stool at the counter. "Too salty?"

"You tell me."

She scooped the curry with her spoon.

Lea scooped his own. Lingering for her to take the first bite.

She did. Chewing; going for more.

Lea went in, wrinkling his nose. He swallowed harshly. "I told you to tell me."

"You're being dramatic." She shook her head, chuckling. "It's good."

"But there's a funny taste to it."

"There's no funny taste." She spoke around a bite. "And the salt is fine." Taking a sip of water to clear her mouth, she tapped his plate. "You made it, so you're analyzing instead of enjoying it. My friend would do the same thing."

Lea tilted his spoon, examining the texture. "I guess."

"These meals..." Aqua began, thinking on how he said 'helped'. "Your... friends cook for you?"

What should he correct here? That they're his friends? Or that they cook for him? "Yeah." Or neither.

"I didn't know..." Aqua folded a napkin's corner back and forth. "I thought maybe you were buying this..." She stirred her food and nodded to herself. "Tell them I said thank you."

"Sure." There's no due date for this message to be passed, so... "Her name is Aerith -the main one who cooks- then there's Cid. His version of cooking is... irritatingly complicated." Lea tossed his spoon down. "That, or he looks at all the leftovers in the fridge, and decides it will all make a great stew. I'm told it does not."

Aqua laughed into her palm. "He sounds like a character."

Lea backtracked. "Um. Yeah. I suppose."

"Do you have any other friends?"

"Of course." Lea scooped the rest of his food onto her plate. "But I gotta go. Enjoy."

* * *

A/N

I got an Aqua action figure :DD She comes with her Rainfell keyblade, three different hands, and the Master's Defender. Since I have a posable figure now, I can draw Aqua with less time referencing. It's so fun!

Thank you, **YumeTakato** , always happy to hear you've enjoyed this!

And thank you, **Guest**. Lea does have a knack for picking up strays. I could see him opening a shelter xD


	6. Trips Down Memory Lane

Special thanks to **Lauralkelley99** for beta reading this chapter.

* * *

Aqua hobbled on jelly legs to the counter, collapsing when she did. Her arms hugging the top. She gulped breaths like the space from the desk was a mile.

It might as well be.

For someone who traveled for more than a decade, it's still jarring to not have the energy to move five feet.

She knows she shouldn't be moving even five feet.

The whole point of staying with Lea is to recover years of energy lost to traversing the darkness.

And here she is wasting what little she recovered with a bout of exercise. Although... Would her muscles atrophy in the time it takes to recover?

Maybe she shouldn't worry about keeping her body occupied.

Had she the chance to test her muscles to their fullest, it's not unlikely that they've developed beyond her best day of weightlifting.

Could she bench the couch?

Aqua exhaled a sharp laugh. They would dare her to if she told them.

Them...

Her smile fell.

She headed to the dresser.

Aqua's relieved to not discover new wrinkles. Age skipped her for all the years that passed, but what of Terra? Ventus... she's positive -Aqua nodded reassuringly- positive; he's in a stasis chamber. Master Eraqus assured her the aging process halts completely. Or was there an almost in there? No. He has to be the same.

And Terra, he's... spoken to her in the darkness. Sometimes as a hallucination. Yet... also as if she were the hallucination. And that Terra, she's almost sure, was the real Terra. Toward the end he always seemed lucid, mentioning something about splitting into two. Then he stopped.

The moment she's better, she will save them.

And they'll accept her help this time. This time she'll drag them by the hair if they don't.

* * *

Dusk fell and Lea sighed. Kairi had a knack for finding him here, on the hillside, watching the sunset. Reminding him to eat whatever ice cream he had left at the moment before the memories snatched him away.

Now all he had was a stick and a wet hand.

Lea ran said hand through one of the many fountains around Radiant Garden on his way home.

Why doesn't Sora remember being Roxas?

Lea lingered near him that day they tested for the Mark of Mastery, throwing in quips, hoping for a bite. But other than a sour look from Riku, he got nothing.

From the beginning Lea had a feeling- no, he knew Sora wouldn't remember. Still, doesn't hurt to test theories. And he can't explain it, but it feels right that Sora doesn't know.

* * *

An empty couch greeted Lea when he returned home. He panicked a moment before rationalizing; Aqua has her own life. If she felt well enough to return to it, then by all means.

He nudged the door shut with his elbow.

It'll be quiet again.

Oddly Enough, it was nice to keep occupied with something other than his memories.

Lea blinked, craning his neck forward to strain his ear.

Gentle repetitive inhales and exhales floated through the air. He gave a small shake of his head as relief flooded him.

Lea walked over to find Aqua sprawled behind the couch. He contemplated her predicament before his presence stirred her.

"Were you exercising again?" He asked her traveling eye.

Aqua lifted her head a smidge before dropping it in an oh, it's just you fashion. She turned to blink at a window, asking instead, "where do you go before dusk?"

He crossed his arms, turning toward said window. "To watch the sunset."

"Is that all?" She curled into a more comfortable position.

"And eat ice cream," he quickly added before bursting in, "alright! You're not sleeping on the floor again. All you did the following day was complain about your back."

"Sleepy," she breathed.

"When are you not?" Lea hefted Aqua up to drop her onto the couch from over the back. "Sweet dreams and all that." He bid, but she was already carried off on a dream.

So Lea threw a cover haphazardly over her and fell onto his own mattress.

* * *

Come morning Lea found the cover lay in the same place he threw it; over Aqua's face and down one arm. Had she not been breathing his initial panic that she suffocated would have taken over. But, what if the heat of her trapped breath is like a furnace under there?

Lea yanked the cover off before he could stop himself.

Not drenched in sweat, but now she's waking. Closed eyelids squinting against the unwelcome light.

He breathed his third sigh of relief within the last twenty-four hours. It's like every little thing with her turns into the worst case scenario. Guess it can when she's hardly capable of caring for herself.

Is this what a mother feels like?

He brought that train of thought to a screeching halt as he released the cover. It fell where it had previously been.

Aqua mumbled something and turned over.

She'll sleep for six more hours.

* * *

A/N

I've taken to drawing wayfinders and cutting them out of card stock so that I could hold a customized wayfinder in my hand. I think I'm going to make a constellation of various sizes and stick them to my walls.

Aw, thank you, **YumeTakato**! You're still the highlight of updating this story.

Looking forward to how this goes **Lauralkelley99**. And thank you for reading!

Thanks for reading, **cleverminded619** , I'm glad you're still enjoying the story!

Aw, **Tae**! I'm flattered! For that I'm going to tell you Ven roughly four or five chapters away. Just perfecting the events leading to their "reunion" at the moment.

~~Thank you for reading, let me know if this fic is going well so far in reviews please and thank you. :]


	7. Nice To Meet You

"Cinnamon," Aerith emphasized.

"Yeah?" Lea wiggled the jar he'd grabbed meaningfully.

"Axel, that's cumin."

"...Same difference."

She tapped her stirring spoon down and leaned on it over the counter. "Taste it, and say that again."

Lea silently set the jar down to begin his search anew, throwing cautionary glances at her till she continued stirring.

"Hey, Axel," Leon interrupted. "Is this one yours?" He stepped aside, and Aqua hedged in, using her keyblade as a hiking pole.

Her face lit up. "Lea!" Then her eyes darted to the stove. "Is that lunch?"

 _Everyone_ raised a brow. _So this is why you're here_ , their faces said. Their collective stares embarrassed him. Although he managed to pretend like his cheeks weren't matching his hair.

So what?

He's got a soft side.

Anyone who knows him would know that.

He wiped his hands down his apron and grabbed her arm toward a chair. "That's not what a keyblade is for."

She swatted him. "I made it here, I can sit down." And she did. Thanking Leon for his guidance, she stepped up the winding book littered staircase- without passing out.

"You sound like a grandma."

"You look like one," Aqua countered.

Suddenly Yuffie laughed. "Oh, I like her."

Lea rolled his eyes and returned to work.

Aerith watched him with a small smile.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she responded, sounding oddly chipper.

Aqua sat up straight. "Oh, sorry! I haven't properly introduced myself." She flayed her fingers over her chest, and smiled around the room. "My name is Aqua. I'm honored to finally meet everyone."

" _Finally_ meet us, eh?" Cid side-eyed Lea from where he rolled around the chalkboard from the computer.

Lea gulped, trying his best to ignore the circus at his back.

"Axel told you about us?" Yuffie took a seat next to Aqua with a mischievous grin.

Lea kneaded some dough throughtfully. Day one of cold shoulders clued him in that this group didn't like him. Now they're teasing him— if indirectly. Ah, maybe they're the type to exploit a weakness for amusement. Or... maybe who they thought he was is a stark contrast to who he really is, and the turnabout is a tad unbelievable.

Aqua tilted her head. "Axel?"

"She means Lea," Leon corrected from where he leaned against a wall by the door.

"Oh." Aqua's eyebrows jumped, and she smiled. "Yes. Although I don't know faces per say."

Aqua sat, hands folded in her lap. While Yuffie leaned over the table, elbows all over the place as they carried on a conversation. It was a weird scene to observe, Lea noted, he predicted their personalities would clash.

* * *

"I'm Yuffie." The girl with short black hair jabbed a thumb at herself. Then pointed at the man with a scar across his face with shoulder-length brown hair. "That's Leon." Her finger floated to the blond older man chewing on a toothpick, sitting in a rolling chair. "Over there's Cid." And lastly to the girl in a long pink dress with a ribbon tying up her light brown hair. "And the one Ax- Lea's helping is Aerith."

"Nice to meet you." Aerith flashed a smile over her shoulder.

"How do you and Lea know each other?" Yuffie asked.

Aqua, somehow, wasn't expecting that question. "I..." Her arms straightened out as she made fists at her knees. Their meet is complicated. She didn't want to lie, but it's not a introduction friendly story. Her time in the darkness... she didn't want to revisit it here, not in a room full strangers who wouldn't understand.

"Aqua crash landed," Lea spoke for her as he floured the dough. "She just needs to get back on her feet, and I've got an abundance of free time since Merlin's out."

"Were you injured?" Aerith asked, reaching for her pack.

"No." Aqua tilted her head down with a small reassuring smile. "Mostly tired. It's been quite the journey."

* * *

They chattered on for awhile. She learned of the Restoration Committee, and they learned she'd been to Radiant Garden when is was, well, radiant.

The conversation took on wistful tones following this topic.

Memories of glittering fountains, waterways at your heels, and flowers anywhere they could grow.

"It's a shame the Heartless dug their claws into the heart of this world," Aerith voiced.

"But don't worry," Yuffie told Aqua with an elbow nudge. "Thanks to our towns defense system, this world is by far the best protected."

Aqua dismissed her keyblade, understanding the double meaning. She'd forgotten the blade was even in her hand to be honest. "That's a relief."

"It blows me away how many keyblade wielders we have on our hands now." Cid hung his hands over the back of his chair, shaking his head sharply.

Leon nodded, then asked Aqua, "were you coming to train alongside Lea when you crash landed?"

She chuckled into her hand. "No. Although I can't back my word at the moment, I am a keyblade master."

"What!?" Despite everyone's shock, Lea was the one to react verbally.

Even as she watched him train magic, and beat up a training dummy, Aqua hadn't really thought the information necessary to divulge. She did throw in pointers when needed. It had to occur to him somehow, like when she bested him in combat.

But now, as he's narrowing an eye, and pointing a rolling pin at her, she's not so sure.

"All this time I've been wasting, and I've had a teacher under my roof this whole time?"

"Teacher?" Aqua leaned back. "Oh, no no." She shook her head, and threw her arms up. "I've never taken on any pupils."

Lea pushed a bowl of soup onto the table and handed her a spoon. Immediately distracted, she sipped the concoction and hummed happily, belatedly noticing the new twinkle in Lea's eye. She watched him return to the counter, a question settling over her face. As everyone else came to the table with a bowl of their own, she dismissed it with a shrug.

* * *

"I noticed everyone calling Lea by Axel before. Is it a nickname?" Aqua pointed out between bites.

"Well..." Yuffie hedged, hovering toward Leon, non-verbally passing the torch.

He glared at her, then schooled his expression into something apologetic for Aqua while explaining, "it's the name he took as a nobody."

"Oh." Aqua glanced at Lea, who rolled his eyes and shrugged. "But he abandoned that name along with Organization Thirteen."

Leon opened his mouth, and seemed to change his mind, instead saying, "sorry."

Aqua set her hands to her hips. "I'm not the one deserving of your apology."

"Sorry, Lea," chorused from around the room.

Lea hid a sudden burst of laughter. Unbelievable. They just met, and already her command over the room is unquestionable.

* * *

A/N

Aqua's five percent energy and ninety-five percent power moves.

Sooo, I've reached the end of what I had pre-written. Therefore updates may be further apart. Encouragements helps if anyone wants to offer me any :'D

To be honest, **cleverminded619** , your morning breath comment had me cackling xD

A million thank you's **YumeTakato**!

You love my story, dear **Gues** t? I'm honored!


	8. A Heart Unspoken

Thank you to **Lauralkelley99** for beta reading this chapter. And a special thank you to my brother **Arron** for listening to me read it aloud and giving pointers!

* * *

Yuffie yelped mid-conversation, Lea turned from clean-up to see her cupping Aqua's forehead, hovering a centimeter over the table.

"She passed out," Yuffie explained with a shocked smile. She lowered Aqua's head to the table.

"Yeah." Lea scratched the back of his head as he ambled over. "Eats for three and sleeps for two." He lifted her head and slipped a cushion underneath.

"Is this... normal?" Leon cautiously prodded her head for any signs of consciousness; a twitch, a word, something. Aerith gave him a look. Feigning nonchalance, Leon crossed his arms.

The door slammed open.

Eager fists clenched, Sora tumbled in shouting, "I HEARD YOU FOUND-!"

"SHHHHH!" All, except the intruders and Lea, snapped a finger to their lips.

Riku raised a brow. After sharing a look with Sora, he finally uttered, "sorry?"

Lea turned to the offended company, explaining in Aqua's place, "wild horses couldn't wake her now."

True to his word, she hadn't budged an inch.

Then, in an excited whisper -as their scolding had done nothing to his boundless energy- Sora blurted, "as soon as we finished training with Hercules on Olympus, Donald saw a message on the gummi ship saying that you found Master Aqua!"

"Luckily, we hadn't gone too far in our search for her when Sora relayed the message," Riku cut in.

Leon's elbow fell off the table when he finally deciphered Sora's overhyped one-word-sentence speech. "Who-? How did you find out so quickly?" Aqua conveyed earlier that this was the first time she had enough strength to leave the house.

"Yo!" Cid, sitting before the oversized computer screen, waved over his shoulder. "She crash landed, right? Why not hitch a ride home with these knuckleheads?"

A frown pulled at Donald's bill. "Who are you calling a knucklehead?"

Lea, who leaned conspicuously against the table, hid Aqua rather poorly with his slender arm. Not even trying to smile since he barely concealed his panic as it is. Her world is no longer her home. She told him such when he suggested taking her there in a similar fashion.

Once Sora locked his wide sparkling eyes with him, Lea felt a bead of sweat crawl down his forehead.

"So, uh, you were searching for Aqua?" Lea changed the subject.

"Yes," Mickey acknowledged. "With Riku's ability to wield the light and dark, we were sure we'd find her safely."

Riku nodded. "But, now she's here and-"

"Where is she!?" Sora surged forward. And when he spotted her, Lea counted his losses and stepped aside.

"We'll... leave you all to get reacquainted," Leon told Riku on the way out, signally the rest of his group to step out as well.

Riku smiled gratefully. The small room was getting crowded.

"Aqua!" Sora leaned over her right side, calling out with uncontainable joy. "Aqua, it's me! Wake up!" The emotions proved too much and tears jumped from his eyes.

Mickey and Riku shared a concerned lowered brow.

"You all... know her?" Lea turned from Sora to Riku.

"I do," Mickey patted his chest, then spread his hand out. "Donald and Goofy met her once as well."

"She is somehow familiar..." Riku leaned his weight to one leg and cupped his chin in thought. "But Sora and I have never met her. At least, I don't think we have..."

They watched Sora tap her shoulder and softly shake, now talking about his adventures, unable to wait for her to be conscious and listening apparently.

"Aqua's been recovering, so I doubt she'll wake up for three more hours," Lea informed. "You all have incredible timing."

"The effects of remaining in the Realm of Darkness." Riku crossed his arms. "Time ceases to flow. Once you leave, your body has to catch up. I was trapped there once, Mickey too, it's why we believed we could go there again. To find and save her."

"Oh," Lea relaxed slightly. So they knew where she'd been previously. It's not his secret to tell, as she seemed reluctant to confess her earlier whereabouts. However, since they already knew, he wouldn't worry.

"My question is, how did she get out now, after being there for over a decade?"

"A decade!?" Lea and Sora exclaimed.

Lea debated a second before throwing his arms up with a shrug, and saying, "Alright, here's what happened."

* * *

Once Lea wrapped up his story, Sora wrapped him in a hug.

"Thank you for saving her," Sora told him, "and for taking care of her."

This kid has no boundaries, Lea thought as he patted Sora's back with one hand. "No problem." Although, it's not like he did it on purpose.

Riku seemed to sense his thoughts and shook his head with a smile to just accept Sora's gratitude.

Following Lea's line of sight, Sora rounded on Riku. "And you! The two of you tried going to the Realm of Darkness without telling me! What if you never came back?" Sora's shoulders fell.

"Calm down. This mission had to remain top secret, or you would've found a way to tag along." Riku rapped a knuckle to Sora's forehead. "When you should be training for your Mark of Mastery exam."

Sora huddled away to Aqua's side, muttering under his breath, "I would've found a way to come anyway."

Mickey chuckled into his hand. "Which is why we had to buy time."

* * *

Oddly enough, Lea suddenly itched to ask what Aqua's story was. One day out in the open, and this woman he kept company all this time isn't as much of a mystery to everyone- except him.

They'd been searching for her, Master Aqua.

Despite the opportunity, she never mentioned the people she knew, that he coincidentally knew as well.

Lea mentally eased off with an exhale of breath. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the wall. No. If she wants to let him in, she can. Just because they knew about her before the Realm of Darkness, doesn't mean she's the same person. And if she's more reserved now, he'll respect that. It's not like he's unfamiliar with her situation. After all, how often did he speak of Roxas?

"Sora?" Riku suddenly asked, taking a seat at the left side of the table. "How is it you know Aqua? When you called to tell us about her, you also asked who she was," he emphasized on the last part.

"I'm not sure," Sora responded. "But there's a feeling that wants to burst out of my chest to see her."

"Gosh." Mickey hopped into a chair next to Donald and Goofy. "Wonder what that could be."

Riku tilted his head down. "It could be one of the heart's resonating with yours."

"The heart's resonating with mine?" Sora touched his own chest.

Riku nodded. "When I dove into your heart, I met some people." He tapped a finger to the table in thought. "You said you could hear my voice, but could you see what transpired?"

Sora smiled sheepishly, tucking his hands behind his head as he looked away. "To be perfectly honest, before I woke up in Yin Sid's tower, I don't remember a thing after the Organization knocked me out in the World That Never Was..."

Riku dropped his head minisculely with a defeated smirk. "Of course." A concern knotted between his brows. "Now, how do I say this..."

When his contemplative hm's carried on too long, Lea offered sympathetically, "it's complicated?" Then he rolled his eyes with his head. "Nothing's ever simple with you people."

Riku leaned back in his chair, glaring over his shoulder. "I just don't want to freak Sora out."

"Why would it freak me out?" Sora spurted.

"Those that never left Sora's heart," Riku quoted Ansems words. "I believe there are heart's resting within yours."

"Like Roxas?"

"Yes. He never faded. Somehow, Roxas became his own person; with his own heart."

Lea's own heart jumped to his throat. He always knew Roxas was different. To hear it out loud from someone else took that reality to a whole new level. He tried not to appear too eager for their conversation, yet subconsciously leaned his ear forward anyway.

"I think... he split in two." Riku turned his head sideways a moment. "I didn't see them at the same time... but they were the same." He laid a palm flat to his chest. "And my heart could hear their echo."

"Roxas..." Sora closed his eyes to look inward. "What does that mean? Why two?" He gazed upon Aqua. "And what does this have to do with Aqua?"

* * *

A/N

This went six ways till Sunday, but! now I have this entire scene written for the next two chapters. Thank you for the encouragement everyone!

I was replaying the opening for the first KH game, and I realized those elements are what I miss. The curious trepidation in the beginning; "but don't be afraid," reappearing over and over in the intro tutorial until you understand the warning when "the closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes," and his own darkness attacks. Then Sora's stubborn independence, and pouting rivalry between him and Riku made for a fun dynamic. I still love Sora. He'll befriend anything that breathes now, which is adorable, but it does make him less interesting as a character with no internal struggles facing him.

I still love him.

Just not as much as Aqua.

Happy Holidays to you too **YumeTakato**! I hope you have a lovely month.

I don't even know where to begin **Friendshipper**. I'm gonna digitally hug you now, just pretend you feel it. Thank you so so much! Yes, mom friends need mom friends, haha. Someone's got to spoil them. As for Aqua making puppy eyes, I'll see what I can do! :] Thank you for reading!

Thank you **cleverminded619**! That means a lot!


	9. Good Morning!

A two part holiday special~ I'll have another chapter uploaded tomorrow, enjoy!

* * *

Aqua roused slowly. She eased up with her arms extended, carefully staring at the table. Then Aqua snapped upright, confusion and hope swimming in her eyes. "Ventus?" She whispered at Sora's growing smile. Aqua shook her head after taking in his features. "I'm sorry. Who might you be?" Her attention roamed, jumping back to Sora every other second. "Who might... you all be?" She blinked. "Mickey?"

"It's so great to see you again, Aqua!" Mickey enthused, then gestured to the two at his left. "You remember Donald and Goofy?"

"Oh, yes, my apologies." Aqua bowed her head. "Lovely to see you again."

"I'm Riku," Riku stated when her scrutiny prompted him, then he pointed across the table. "That one's Sora."

Sora scowled at his offhanded introduction.

"Sora?" Aqua turned her body toward him. "You're Sora? The boy from the islands?"

"Yeah," he answered, regaining his smile, fresh excitement still brimming from earlier. "I couldn't wait to meet you!"

"You're the one who fights to protect the light of all worlds," she affirmed.

His cheeks pinkened. "I'm not alone. Everyone in this room plays a big part in keeping the darkness at bay."

"I've heard of your exploits." She took his hand with both of hers. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you." Then she addressed the room, "thank you, everyone."

"Aw, Aqua," Mickey smiled. "We're so glad you're safe. RIku and I, we had plans to rescue you before we found out you were already here."

Aqua folded her hands in her lap. "But how? You would have been trapped alongside me. What's changed?"

Sora puffed his chest proudly. "Riku here is a keyblade master too! He mastered both the light and the darkness!"

Lea reached for Sora uselessly. From their first conversations, he knew Aqua was wary of the darkness. He cupped his forehead instead, waiting for those spark of words to ignite a fight.

"That's-" Aqua started at Riku. "-different." She summoned her blade. "My master always taught me that light triumphs all." She dismissed it. "Through my journeys, I've heard otherwise. Now, I'm not so sure." She took a deep breath, then smiled warmly. "And that's not a bad thing. It gives me hope." _Hope that Terra is okay,_ she thought.

 _Huh. That wasn't so bad_ , Lea thought. _Wonder what swayed her opinion._

Aqua searched the room, grinning brightly when she found him. "Take Lea for example."

 _What example?_ he sweated, maintaining a straight face when they all turned.

"The darkness lies within him, tame. He holds all control over it. I've had time to identify this type of darkness amidst our time together. And I can see the same within you, Riku. It's truly an amazing feat the both of you have accomplished."

Lea smirked. So _he_ changed her mind. "You hear that? I'm more similar to your local keyblade master. That Mark of Mastery is going to be a cinch."

"Wait in line." Sora put a hand to the table to lean over it, getting closer as he argued, "I've had my keyblade longer."

"You'd better hurry up then, cause I'd say my training is just about done. Besides, what's the matter? Can't take a little competition?"

As they bantered back and forth, Mickey told her, "there's so much we need to catch up on."

* * *

"This man who called himself Ansem was actually Xehanort?" disbelief colored Aqua's tone.

"Yeah, but don't worry about him," Sora assured her. "Riku and I took care of him. Both his heartless, and his nobody."

"There's a more pressing matter now," Mickey added urgently. "Now that those two were destroyed, the real Xehanort has returned."

"Thirteen of the darkness, fighting seven of the light," Sora added helpfully. "Xehanort said this will all end in one final clash."

"It's like this," Riku began. "Xehanort picked different versions of his physical body out of time. Then chose others here as new vessels to house his heart and make a complete thirteen of himself."

Aqua's spirit deflated with dread weighing down her heart. "I'd been fighting for so long, I don't know what I'd hoped to come back to... but it wasn't this— another battle against the _same man_."

They passed around concerned glances.

"We're putting together a team," Sora attempted to reassure her, scooting his chair closer. "Everyone here plans on being in the final battle."

"Is that true?" She asked Lea with a glimmer of renewed hope.

He rubbed the back of his neck, summoning his blade with the other hand. "Well, yeah. It's why I got this in the first place."

With a sudden vigor, she stated, "during our last conflict, Xehanort separated the three of us. His plan was that no one fought together, and that-" Aqua clenched her fists, shame lacing itself into the story, "-was our downfall..." She sat up straight, dousing her previous mood with a splash of determination. "We mustn't let that happen again."

"Of course!" Sora pumped a fist. "We're stronger together. Right Riku?"

Riku crossed his arms with a nod. "Should anyone break from the group in the final battle, someone else must make sure to go with them. Nothing is left to chance. No one's left alone."

To Riku's speech, Sora's smile widened. "Aqua always has the best advice," he gloated.

"Always?" Lea squinted an eye.

Aqua couldn't place it. Like déjà vu manifested into a physical form, she watched Sora's every move. Drawing back to him amidst other conversations. Every elated reaction. Each bit of body language. But like a bird at the window, her memory wouldn't come through.

"I've been dying to ask," Mickey tentatively approached Aqua. "Where are Ventus and Terra?"

Aqua softly shook her head, giving an answer she was no longer sure of. "Terra should be here."

* * *

My brothers liked that I pointed it out, so I'll do the same here. In the last chapter when Lea says Aqua "eats for three and sleeps for two" I'm referring to how she's eating for Ven and Terra as well. Then since Ven's already sleeping, she sleeps for Terra and herself. I didn't want to point it out in the chapter, cause I don't have a way to easily explain it, but it's a head-cannon I like to entertain.

 **hcbnc** , you're back! I hope they have that conversation as well, or something to ease the pain of what is going to be this game.


	10. Onward

Happy Holidays! And for anyone interested in Bleach, I'm betaing for a kind writer, cleverminded619, who's writing Rise of the Shiba Clan. Be sure to give it a read~

* * *

With the events of Aqua's final battle in the light unfolded, everyone took on a pensive stance. Where is Terra— _where could he be?_ is a deep rooted question for Aqua. The groups many visits to Radiant Garden yielded no sign of a man by his description.

"Gosh." Mickey cradled his face in his hand. "I wish I'd have seen the man, at least once, to know for sure."

"If Terra had trouble remembering you, and if by chance his memory never returned," Riku eased Aqua into the idea- "who's to say he hasn't become an entirely different person by now?" - with all the finesse and consideration of a bulldozer.

Sora slapped a hand to his mouth with a stiff laugh. "Riku's crazy sometimes, huh?"

Riku peeled said hand off, holding it before Sora with a raised brow. Sora, in turn, managed to look sheepish as he pulled away.

But Aqua took it in stride. "It's possible, however, the keyblade doesn't vanish with memory. A man with no identity, wielding a keyblade, would catch someone's attention."

"Take Roxas for example," Lea interjected, "he had no idea who he was, but that keyblade popped into his hand and-" Lea snapped his fingers. "-Organization had him the moment he stepped into the world."

An understanding blossomed around the room, so Aqua asked, "who's Roxas?"

"Roxas was my nobody," Sora put forth the information with a hint of apology.

Lea crossed his arms and turned away, closing off the conversation from going any further with him. Aqua caught a question on the tip of her tongue, and decided against it.

"As for Ventus," she turned the tides of their current topic, "I need to see if he's awake."

Mickey tipped forward, lilting the words, "do you think his heart found its way home?"

"I'm afraid to be positive or negative," she confessed, clasping her hands together, "checking in later will make that a yes or no. I'd rather not dwell on maybes any longer."

"Then why wait?" Riku scooted out of his seat. To which Sora eagerly followed.

"I can't imagine it being safe." Aqua waved a hand down as if to quell their energy. "Given a few more days I'm sure my strength will return enough for a safe journey."

"Nonsense!" Sora rebutted, "we can handle any danger. You need your friend back!"

"But..."

"You're going to have to accept you're not alone anymore," Lea interrupted.

Despite the tremor in her hands, she nodded.

Casting a glance at the rest of the group to confirm they were caught up discussing the upcoming journey, Lea laid a steady hand on her trembling ones.

"Hey, this is okay, right?" he softly queried.

Aqua inhaled. "I can't get my hopes up." She met his eye. "What if he's not there? What if he left to find me, and got lost? Or... what if he's still asleep? How will I wake him after all this time?"

Lea passed a basket of cinnamon rolls to her from the center of the table. "Letting yourself hope doesn't ensure a happy ending." When she didn't take it, he handed one to her. "You have to believe in yourself first. That if things do turn out bad, you'll do your best to make it better." He sat back in a chair, and bit into a roll. Then flippantly added, "and if your hope alone isn't enough, you can borrow some of mine. We're friends now. So believe me when I say we'll get your friend back."

Despite Lea's nonchalance, Aqua felt his waterfall of comfort wash away a majority of her fears. Like the weight on her shoulders shifted to lie on his as well.

She closed her eyes slowly with a breath of relief. "Thank you, Lea."

"Wow," Sora sighed happily.

Riku nodded. "That moved even me."

Turning away from them, he cupped his chin in his hand and laid his elbow to the table with a glower. Inadvertently facing only Aqua, so she could giggle, front and center, at the furious blush decorating his cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah." Lea waved them off.

* * *

The group gathered in the towns square. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Sora, Riku, and Lea all stood behind Aqua. An indomitable air hushed the everyday bustle surrounding them. Shopkeepers, and passersby alike curiously glanced at the large group. Unable to set aside the sudden need to whisper as they continued their business.

Aqua reached above to summon her blade in a graceful sweep as she slashed it down to point forward, calling out, "are we ready?"

They resolutely nodded.

Lea held up a finger. "Is it too late to grab an ice cream?"

The group faltered; caught somewhere between frowning, and rolling their eyes.

"Ouu, bring me one!" Sora chimed in.

Riku raised a fist.

"Ow!" echoed behind Aqua's back. She concentrated on the power within her blade as Sora complained, "I would've shared!"

Pure light bloomed a portal to life before them. Tendrils of glowing wisps danced at the edges, beckoning it's summoner to enter.

Aqua thrusted the keyblade down to her side, flicking the remnant energy off. She met their steady gaze over her shoulder, asserting with a steely confidence, "let's go."

* * *

Next time we get Theseus and the Minotaur! In which the maze is Castle Oblivion, the Minotaur is Ventus, the rest of the group is Theseus, Aqua is probably the string, and no one dies. Because no one should ever die RIGHT NOMURA

 **VampireLady92** , thank you! Ya know what, I like you.

Aw, my dear sweet **Guest** , thank you!

Anyway, I'm not sober today and I shouldn't have to be. Slay me in the reviews.


	11. Almost Home

A ripple effect cascaded over the group as they passed through Aqua's portal; from Lea's raised brow, to the others gasps of shock, down to Riku exclaiming, "Castle Oblivion!?"

Aqua twisted slightly at the hip to look sidelong at them. "Is that the name this place was given in my absence?"

Lea strolled up to her side, hands to his hips as he gazed upon the castle with disdain. "Xemnas called this place his second castle. He stationed members here who he thought would betray him to be eliminated."

"You were here," Riku pointed out curiously.

Lea tossed his hands up. "Someone had to do the eliminating."

Meanwhile Sora was mystified, starting unabashed at the place.

Lea turned to pat Sora on the back. "This brings back memories. It's where you and I first met."

"Memories?" Sora's eyebrow jumped. "I've never been here before."

Riku ruffled Sora's hair. "It's also where you met Naminé."

Sora's mouth opened and his eyebrows lifted. "Ohh."

Lea spoke behind his hand at Donald and Goofy, "did I miss something?"

"Well, we were told Naminé scrambled Sora's memories," Donald said.

Goofy nodded, then added, "and to fix them, she had to erase that they'd ever met."

"Whaat?" Lea crossed his hands over his heart, trying to be dramatic. "So you forgot about meeting me too!?"

Riku wasn't having it, and began walking off, but Sora scratched his chin and looked away.

"I didn't mean to," Sora offered.

Tiredly, Riku called, "Sora.."

Lea stood up straight, chuckling, "I was wondering how that whole memory scheme would fix. So you really don't remember anything about this castle?"

Sora shook his head.

"Guess I shouldn't tell you then."

Sora swayed forward. "Tell me what?"

Aqua pushed the doors open.

Lea stepped in, closely followed by Sora asking, "hey, tell me what?"

"Hmmm." Lea crossed his arms contemplatively.

"What?" Riku asked.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Sora, meanwhile, nagged from a distance during their conversation, "Leeaa, what aren't you telling me?"

"Well," Lea said to Riku, ignoring Sora, "Once, I came here with Roxas, and it was like his head was splitting in two by simply being here."

Sora had since tuned them out, walking behind to complain to Donald and Goofy of their behavior.

"I remember that," Riku crossed his arms, and looked Lea up and down. "Naminé was concerned, she said Roxas was trying to pick up the links she had been trying to reconnect of Sora's chain of memories. Roxas' mind couldn't handle the jumbled fragments."

"And he passed out," Lea finished.

"Besides-" Riku observed Sora from a few feet away as they walked, and shrugged. "-I don't think he has a head to split."

Sora shouted over Lea's laughter, "I heard that!" And he shoved between the two, surprising Aqua as Lea swung around to her other side, putting her between them.

Riku laughed. "You don't even know if it was you we were talking about."

"Yeah, well," Sora retorted, all bravado. "You threw an insult, and I was in the room, so who else would it be?"

Riku smirked. "That's not enough evidence."

Mickey shook his head with a smile. "You two never change."

* * *

Lea turned his attention to the walls down the hallways that Aqua had been leading them through. Still devoid of color, the scenery changed here and there. Probably. False windows shaped like stars. Furniture differing from what he can remember from the rest of the castle. Although, nothing changed any real discernable way that he could point and say, _I haven't seen that before_. Mostly just a feeling.

"How are you navigating this castle?" Lea asked.

Aqua nodded at a circular table in the center of the hall like it meant something. "I left myself clues no one else would see."

He stared at the table, the empty picture frames, the diamond patterns on the tile floor. Nothing gave him a pull to go any specific way like it did for her. Which was a neat trick. Still. He hasn't seen any locks on the doors they've passed through. Anyone could come in. And, anyone did. Organization Thirteen, DiZ, Sora and his buddies.

"Why leave Ventus here of all places?" He knows heartless roam these halls, not to mention the lingering nobodies Organization Thirteen more than likely left behind. "It's not the safest location."

"It is," Aqua countered. "I created it to be."

"You...?" Lea halted in place, gaping all around. He recalled the endless hours he spent in these halls, the vast spaces that defied logic by going on for miles. "How...?"

She hugged an arm across her body, holding her upper arm. "As the keyblade master it is my duty to protect this neutral ground. I had to lock away its original state once we could no longer protect it. Create a maze no one could maneuver but me." Aqua pressed a featherlight touch to the wall. He saw memories swimming in her eyes of a time he couldn't even fathom. "This place used to be my home. "

How many times has the Organization barged in here, with no regard for what this place was? Himself included. "I'm sorry."  
"Don't be. Once this is over, I'll restore The Land of Departure back to its former glory."

"You know," Lea began, unsure of if he should even mention it.

Aqua hadn't diverted her keen gaze on their surroundings. "Yes?"

Lea stretched his neck back and forth, prolonging his decision.

Aqua watched his actions, bemused. He hardly broke face, and being around these newcomers has brought out a different side of him. She offered a small smile. "Lea?"

"When I was with the Organization." Noticing her hopeful smile, he regretted the words anyway. "My- uh- friend at the time, Saïx, wanted to get the upper hand on our leader. He said there would be a chamber here that would have the answers. So he sent me to find it as our secret side mission. He called it the Chamber of Waking."

The color drained from her face, and he was vividly reminded of how she was when they first met. "He never- you never found anything, did you?"

He felt like a kid who held scissors to someone else's art project, but was caught and blamed before the crime took place. "No," he admitted. Then played it off with a shrug. "Wasn't even sure what we were looking for."

Her relief felt palpable, like a breeze against his chest.

"Thank goodness." A question curled her brow. "Why would there be anything here concerning his weakness?"

"Probably just a hunch Saïx had."

* * *

"Y'all go on ahead," Mickey said in passing. He came to the opening of an adjoining hall. "Last time I was here, there were a few things I never got to look into." He cupped a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Research they had of a duplication project; I want to know how far it went. I know they recreated Riku, but I feel like there's more than that."

"It's not safe here," Goofy ducked behind his shield.

Donald swiped his staff through the air. "We'll go with you." Yet he hesitated.

Sora understood Donald's concern with a grateful smile. "Don't you worry. We'll all keep each other safe."

Accepting that answer, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey darted off.

"Wait." Sora rounded on Riku. "They cloned you!?"

"That's all done with." Riku held a halting hand before Sora's face, hoping to end the conversation before it started.

"But what was he like?" Sora's eyes glittered.

"They used him against you," Riku exasperated, trying to dissuade him. Then relented when Sora didn't, "he was like me, but..." He waved his hand in a circle. "Angrier."

"Wow," Sora breathed with a tinge of fear. "Sounds intense."

Riku crossed his arms. "What is that suppose to mean?"

* * *

A/N

Oooohhh, man am I pushing it. Here I was, this naive writer back in October who knew better than to set deadlines. AND HERE WE ARE. I'm gonna write these suckers out like my life depends on it. Gotta at least finish some of this story before the game breaks all my expectations, and shatters my soul.

Thanks **Guest**! My hearts flutters to hear that this is considered to be a thing of beauty~

lmao **Superwin** , you're right. They don't die, they just dissolve into a thousand lights or take a light nap for thirteen years.

Heyy, **YumeTakato** , Happy belated New Year to you too! The next national holiday is the release of the new Kingdom Hearts game, so be sure to celebrate that as well xD


	12. Long Awaited Arrival

Aqua watched the two from her peripherals. Riku nudged Sora with his elbow. Sora chuckled, shoving his arm away. Her imagination supplied Terra in Riku's place, and Ven in Sora's. A fragment of her heart reached out for the two missing from her side. Is it possible for things to go back to the way they were before? Those carefree, playful times...

Surely Ven would remain unchanged. But Terra?

And what of herself? Lea can understand who she **is** for lack of knowing who she **was**.

However, the dynamic between her and them... is that something she can recover? Will it remain unchanged, or have they drifted too far apart? A decade later, who knows...

"Dunno what's going on in your mind." Lea poked her forehead. "But your face has a storm written all over it."

Aqua swatted his hand.

Sora jogged up to her side. "If something's troubling you, you can tell us."

The sweet innocence of Ven shadowed Sora's features and she had to blink. "Well-"

Something collided with Sora faster than the eye could see, and he flew back several feet.

"Sora!" Riku called, rushing back to him.

Sora sat up and wiped the back of his hand against his chin. "What just happened?"

Aqua trailed her eyes opposite to the direction he flew and spotted several blue blobs slinking away, letting off unnatural chirps as they did.

Her heart stuttered. _Unversed!?_ She summoned her keyblade and ran after them into the next room.

Clad in his all black and red veined attire, Vanitas sat at the top of a staircase. He leaned forward, his arms lain over his knees as his helmet melted away.

Aqua did a double take on Sora entering the room and him. Despite a few color alterations, they looked identical. Like twins.

"Nice to see you again, Aqua," Vanitas taunted. "Except-" he pointed at Sora. "- _what_ is _that_?"

Sora, much like a deer in the headlights, regained his composure enough to shout, "I should be asking that! What- who are you!?"

Aqua hadn't quite gotten a grip on their faces, and split her focus between them. "He's the darkness in Ven's heart," although her explanation bordered a question. "I thought we got rid of him."

"This is annoying." Vanitas scowled.

"His voice even sounds like Sora," Riku pointed out.

"I came first!" Vanitas yelled.

"Riku-" Sora turned to his friend, looking faint. "-they cloned me too."

Vanitas clicked his tongue. "I'm getting sick of this." Kneeling down momentarily, Vanitas sprang at the group, kicking down Sora. Sora toppled onto his back, and Vanitas pressed his boot into Sora's chest. "You..." he sneered. Given a minute of Sora struggling, Vanitas smirked, and his yellow eyes gleamed with mirth. "Ah," he breathed, understanding in his tone. "So, this is where you've been hiding." He leaned closer, and Sora arched his neck as far back as it would go. "Ventus."

Three keyblades came down on Vanitas. He backflipped out of the way, causing the keyblades to clash above Sora instead. Riku, Aqua, and Lea glared at his retreat.

"Yeesh," Sora groaned. "I feel like a piñata." He moved a hand over his chest. "Quit knocking me around! There's nothing in here, I swear."

Riku watched Sora's hand with a carefully blank face. "I'm not so sure about that..."

Sora pointed at Riku. "Don't."

"All those years ago," Vanitas spoke more to himself. "The one who connected with our heart." Then he raised his volume slightly to question, "your name is Sora?"

Sora jumped to his feet, summoning his keyblade. "What about it!?"

"Interesting," his following grin cut a sharp edge of dread into Sora. "Aqua," he called. "What took you so long to come back?"

Aqua refused to answer.

Vanitas shrugged. "I was almost lonely." Then he backed into a dark corridor, as it faded, he said, "I hope you don't mind, I made a few friends while you were away."

Dusks swam zig-zag through the air for their group. Samurai manifested, sitting in seiza with their swords resting in their lap. Meanwhile from the shadows cast by the stairs, claws rose up and took solid form, piercing the floor to pull the rest of a Neoshadows body into the room.

Soon they were surrounded by a multitude of enemies.

"Guess that guy doesn't like you much," Lea noted sarcastically.

Aqua cast a blizzaga forward, following her own attack closely, she skated upon the icy trail it left behind straight into a pile of frozen enemies. Slashing into a spinning circle, she charged her blade with magic, extending the radius it would strike.

"She doesn't do anything halfway." Riku gaped, astonished.

"And we shouldn't either!" Sora eagerly jumped into the fray. He swung his keyblade upward, casting a zero graviga spell. "Drift!"

Lea went airborne.

Sora tossed his hands frantically in the air. "I'M SO SORRY! I- I targeted darkness and-!"

"It's fine," Lea cut him off. "They can't get me anyway." Caught in a gravity defying field, Lea along with the surrounding nobodies and heartless, spun slowly in place a few metres off the ground. A nearby Neoshadow swiped at him in fruitless attempts.

Stance firmly planted, Riku slid his eyes up to Lea's questioning stare, and explained, "I've learned to counter it."

"Whoa," echoed from up ahead.

Lea had been facing the wrong way in his languid forward spin, but he heard Sora's voice kick up a few notches of hysteria as he cried out, "OHMYGOD AQUA!"

* * *

The last Shadow faded into nothing at the strike of a keyblade, it's heart released in a rapid upward ascent to return to the one who lost their heart.

Aqua collapsed the moment they were safe.

"Hey!" Riku caught her by hand, then lowered her into an upright sitting position. "You okay?"

Aqua blearily focused on the path ahead. "Guess this wouldn't be the best place to nap."

"No," Riku remarked. Then sat down beside her with one leg extended out, and the other bent with his arm resting over the knee. "I don't think anyone would object to a break right about now though."

"Yeah." Sora sat crisscross before them. "Although, I'd like a nap myself."

" _You?_ " Lea accused, sitting similar to Riku beside Sora with an arm propping him up behind his back. "Man, do I feel sorry for Donald and Goofy. Sora, you are the king of friendly fire."

"That was **one** zero graviga!"

"That lasted ten minutes!"

Aqua spoke through a laugh, "Ventus once did the same thing. Except it was a slow spell on Terra." She tried to contain her laughter to talk, "Terra was so mad, but everything he said caamme ooouuut liiike thiiis."

They laughed, holding their stomachs, at her rendition of Terra.

"Roxas was sort of a klutz too," Lea informed as he curbed his laugh. "He came into the organization without any memory of who he was in his previous life. Although he had regular combat down to a second nature, you-know-who here had to teach him magic."

Aqua's happiness ebbed when Lea mentioned amnesia. Her own thoughts went back to Ventus, and how he was when they first met.

"Why I imagined fire would be great to begin with is beyond me," Lea went on as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Let me guess," Riku tilted his head with a smirk. "He singed you?"

"Worse. I thought the woods in Twilight Town would be good cover..." Lea pursed his lips, then waved the words off. "Ah, long story short, he set a tree on fire. Birds, deer, and all kinds of nature panicked." He flipped his hand out. "I thought, _great, now we gotta skip town_ as I summoned a dark corridor out. Then Roxas yanked me back." Lea stared unfocused into the distance. "And he pled for me to put it out. I couldn't do ice magic at the time, so I told him how to cast blizzard, and it only took him one try." Lea's tone dropped. "His relief was..." He sighed. "That's when I knew for sure Roxas was different. How can anyone show emotions without a heart, and no memory of how to display them?"

"Ventus was similar in a way," Aqua put in. "When he first came into our care, he couldn't remember anything of his past." Her eyes clouded. "His head would hurt so bad, sometimes all he would do was sleep..."

Lea gave a few strong nods. "That was the same for Roxas. He told me a few times that he couldn't even remember his first days in the Organization."

Encouraged by Lea's empathy, Aqua added, "and, you know... I always worried that when he did remember his past, he wouldn't be the same Ventus we'd grown to love."

Lea hunched back. "Yeah..."

Sora looked between them, shared a look with Riku, then chipped in, "sounds like Roxas and Ventus have a lot in common."

* * *

A/N

I sooooo wanted to hit all the pressure points in my story to see how similar my ideas would be to canon. I will continue to write this after I play the long awaited game, but for now I'm gonna put a bookmark in it. Two things that will not change, as they are two of three reasons I wrote this in the first place, are how they save Roxas and Xion. Those were my lightbulb moments that I liked even if canon doesn't do it. OR IF CANON DOES DO IT, I WILL BE MILdly upset... I mean... I thought I was clever...

 **Ryudai** , thank you very much!

Happy almost KH3 release to you too **YumeTakato**! xD


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